Overhead door construction



Jaly 2s, 1942. A, v, ROW 2,291,583

- OVERHEAD Doo CONSTRUCTION Filed May 2.7, 1940 sheets-Sheet -1 1151's ENTER.

j @lL-Ma@ ATI-5.

July 2.8,f194 2- vA. v. RowE 2,291,583

' OVERHEAD noon oNsTRucTxon Filed May 27', 1940 2 smatssma -at` 2 Patented July 28, 1942 ovEBnEAp Doon CONSTRUCTION Alvin V. Rowe, Galesburg, Ill., assignor to Manufacturing Company, Galesburg; Ill., a

poration of Illinois Application May 27, 1940, Serial No.,337,345

4Claims.

This invention Vrelates generally to overhead door structures. More particularly, it relates to overhead door structures especially suitable for use in instances where a minimum amount of head room is available.

Conventional overhead door structures are neither designed nor. adapted for use where the available head room is relatively small. By head room in this connection is meant the space. be-

. tween the lowe'r edge of the header in the door opening and the ceilingof the enclosure into which the door opens. As a practical matter, the lower margin or edge of the shiftable door should occupy a position no lower than the bottomedge of the header when the door is in its open or overhead position, for obvious reasons.

The space above the lower edge of the header is necessary in` most overhead door constructions because a sheave, or other suitable guide for the flexible lifting element, is mounted in this space. In the known structures, space, inaddition to that required by the sheave or guide itself, is required above the lower edge of the header by reason of the fact that the bottom or'trailing edge of the door cannot be raised above a certain distance below the sheave or guide. It is the practice now to secure the exible lifting element to the edge of the door adjacent the track for the guide rollers near the lower edge. Thus when the flexible lifting element is at its maximum height, the lowermost face of the door in overhead position extends below the end of the exi'- ble lifting element and requires additional head room. This method of attaching the exible lifting element to the door has twg disadvantages. The rst of these is that additional space is required because the lowermost face of the door in overhead position extends below the pivot point of the place where the'lifting element is attached so that more head room is required; and the second is that the 1?; inch space, which is normally provided between the edge of the door section and the track to give the track rollers'the floating movement horizontally which is necessary for a free traveling door, does not leave suflicient room to connect the lifting element to the door when the doors are in position. 'Ihis means that the cable has to be a tached to the corner bracket before the doors a e put in posit' (c1. zo-lzo) ing the lower edge of the door closer to the sheave or guide whereby the' necessary head room is decreased.

Another object is to provide an overhead 'door structure in which the flexible lifting element is secured to the door in a novel manner.

A still lfurther objeci-I is to provide a novel corner bracket for securing the flexible lifting element vto the lower portion of the overhead door.

A still further object is to provide a bracket for use in an overhead door construction, which bracket is adapted to secure the flexible lifting element to thelower portion of the dopr in a novel manner and which is also adapted to support a lower guide roller on the door.

Another object is to provide a corner bracket for connecting the exible lifting element, which is arranged so that the exible lifting element may be readily secured thereto when the doors are in position..

Still another object is to provide a corner bracket for use in an overhead door construction which includes-"means for supporting the guide roller adjacent-fthe lowermost edge of the door, means for read-ily securing the flexible lifting element to thdor when the doors are in position, said means being so arranged that the amount of head room required in the oxerhead door structure is substantially decreased),

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

It has now been found that these objects may be accomplished by providing a bracket adapted 1 to be secured to the face of theoverhead door,

which is lowermost when the door is in open overhead position, and which bracket includes means for securing the flexibleA lifting element to this face of the door and curved guide means for the flexible lifting element extending from the` face of the door on which the lifting element is secured down to a position adjacent the bottom or trailing edge of the door, and thence around to a point where the exible lifting element leaves the guide means in a direction substantially vertical when the door is in closed position and passes to the sheave or guide element. The nature of this bracket and the manner in which it is employed in overhead door constructions4 to accomplish the foregoing and other objects will be more apparent from the 'following' detailed description when considered in connection with the accomf panying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a verticalvlew partly in section of an overhead door structure embodying features of the present invention; l

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the face of the lower lefthand corner of the door structure looking from within the enclosure with which it is associated and` showing the novel bracket and associated structures, as indicated by the numeral 2 and the associated bracket iny mg. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 8-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3 of the guide for the flexible lifting element which is associated with the novel bracket;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig. 1, showing more in detail the upper portion of the door structure and showing the relation of the parts when the door is in open overhead position;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another embodiment of the invention in. which the bracket is employed with a ilexible lifting element which is in the form of a metal tape instead of in the form of a cable as shown in Figs. 1 to 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail wherein like numerals have been employed to designate the similar parts throughout the various gures, it is seen that one embodiment of the improved overhead door construction includes a plurality of shiftable door panels I0, I2, i4 and I8. The adjacent margins and edges of these door panels are connected by, suitable'hinges I8 which turn on a pivot 20, as shown in Fig. 5. This same figure also shows in dotted lines a portion 22 connected to these hinges which extends laterally along the edge of the door to support a roller 24 in position adjacent the edge of the door. 'I'hese rollers 24 are guided in a guideway or track having an upper horizontal section 26 and intermediate curved section 28 and a lower vertical section 80. As the dooris shifted upwardly from the normal closed position shown in Fig. 1 to the open position shown in Fig. 5, the rollers 24 are guided by the curved track section 28 and thence by the substantially horizontal .track section 28. The rollers 24 are mounted upon their pintles, not shown, for limited lateral movement which provides a free traveling door. It will be apparent that each installation requires a hinge I8 at each side of the panels and a track struc e in the vicinity of the edge of the door for guiding rollers 22. It is to be understood that` the door may consist of a single panel instead of a plurality of panels.

In the latter instance, the only rollers required will be a roller such as that shown at 82 in Fig. 1 near the upper end of the door, and the roller provided at the bottom of the door as hereinafter described. Since no hinge is required at the upper edge of the door, the rollex'is mounted on a structure -34 similar to that associated with hinge/i8 in a known manner.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3,a bracket 36 is provided adjacent each lower corner of the inner face of the door and is secured thereto by suitable bolts 88 and nuts 48, or by any other desired fastening means. This bracket, which is preferably, formed from fiat stock, has a portion 42 lying adjacent the door surface and is provided with a flange 44 projecting perpendiularly therefrom away from ithe door surface. It will be noted that the bracket 88 is mounted upon the door so that the outer face of the portion 44 lies in the plane of the edge of the door. As shown by the dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, bracket 36 is also ,provided with a flange 46 turned in beneath the surface 0f the Verrantes door and fitting into an opening provided in the door to receive it. 'I'his inturned portion, together with the fastening means previously described, serves to rmly position the bracket with respect to the door. Extending beneath this flange 46 is a iiange'50 extending laterally on a guide member 48. The opening in the door panel I8, whichreceives the anges 46 and 50, is made of such depth that the lowermost flange 50 lies substantially iiush with the lower surface of the door. A portion 52 of the guide memberl 48 lying adjacent the edge of the door is provided with a U-shaped portion 54 (see Fig. 4) which is generally semicircular, as shown in Fig. 3. 'I'he U- shaped element 54 serves as a guide for the ilexible lifting element 56. It may be seen by reference to Figs. 2 and 3 that this guide 54 includes a portion 58 extending along the edge of the door in a line generally parallel thereto. Another portion 60 of this guide, however, in addition t0 curving upwardly, also curves laterally, as shown `in Fig. 2, around the ange 44. The edge of the portion 60 lying adjacent the ange 44 may be secured thereto by any suitable means if desired, although the ange v50 extending beneath the door serves to position this member since the ange 50 and the ange 46 are secured by suitable fastening means passing therethrough to the under surface of the door.

An ear 62 secured to the main portion 42 of the element 66 to the clip 10, the end is frayed out as shown at 16,'and the remaining portion 18 of the opening 14 is then filled with solder t0 secure the flexible lifting element in place. An-

other ear 88 secured near the other end of the bracket by any suitable means, such as welding. is provided with an opening aligned with a similar opening in the ange 44 and adapted to receive a pintle 82.: Upon the end of the pintle 82 projecting beyond the edge of the door a roller support 84 is mounted. This roller support 84 is provided at the end opposite t0 that which receives pintle 82 with a lip 86 extending through a suitable opening provided in nenge u and 1ying adjacent the main portion 42 of the bracket 86. The pintle 82 and the roller support 84 are loosely fitted for limited lateral movement with respect to the door in order to provide a free traveling door. A roller 24, as shown in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, is positioned upon this support in a manner similar to that in which the rollers 24 are positioned upon supports 22.

Referring now more particularly to the exible lifting element 5s, it ls seen that it extends from metal clip .10 down through guide 54, thence upwardly adjacent the edge of the door when the door is in closed position. then over the sheave or rotary guide member 88 and rearwardly to a suitable counterbalancing mechanism 90.

As can be seen best in Fig. 5 by\reason of the fact that the flexible lifting element or cable 58 is secured to the face of the door lowermost when the door is in open position and is guided from the securing means down through the guide member. 54 adjacent thelower edge, it is possible I in a givenstructure to rais'ezthe door as a whole to a position substantially nearer the sheave 88 than it would 'be in any of the known structures. As a result of this, the amount of head room required is of course decreased. At the same time, because the clip to which the lifting element is attached is on the inner face of the door, it is relatively easy to attach the cable or lifting element to the clip even when the doors are in position.

Another advantage of the structure 'shown in Figs. 1 to 5 is that by reason of the provision of the guide member 54 it is possible to fasten the lifting element `56 to the rear face of the door and still utilize the space provided between the edge of the door and the track for the cable to work in. This space, in a free traveling door structure, is usually about 's inch and since a cable with the diameter as small as about ifs inch is of satisfactory strength to support a usual door construction, the space between the door and track is ample to receive the cable.

Another modification of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 in which a metal tape instead of the cable shown in Figs. l to is employed as a flexible lifting element. In this modification, a, bracket 92 is provided, which is generally similar to bracket 36, having a main portion 94 lying adjacent the rear face of panel I0 and secured thereto by bolts 96v and nuts 98 or by any other suitable fastening means. Bracket 94 is also provided with a flange 100 extending outwardly from the face of the door and having its outer surface substantially flush with the edge of th'e door.. A flange |02, like flange 46,v also extends beneath the door and is received in an opening provided-.for it so that it lies ush with the lower edge` ofvthe door. may be secured tothe door by suitable fastening means not shown. The exiblelifting tape is secured to this bracket by means of an ear |04 struck from the portion 94.of the bracket lying adjacent the frameof the door. An opening |06 is provided-near the end of the flexible lifting tape,l and this is passed overth'e ear 1.04. The tape is then carried downa short distance, as best shown in TZ, thence through an openin the space between the edge of the door and the track, but instead passes up adjacent the face of the door which is uppermost when the door is in open position. Preferably, the tape` which is in contact with the surface of the door oppo. site to that to which it is secured in turn contacts either a angevof the track or the wood molding which may be used on the track. Thus it will be seen that in all embodiments the flexible lifting element is disposedbetween the side margin of the door and either the track or a portion of the jamb molding associated with the track structure.

It is apparent that many widely different em bodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore it is not to be limited except as indicated in the appending claims.

The nvention'is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A bracket for use in an overhead door structure including a door comprising a plurality of panels hingedly connected along horizontal margins and shiftable in vertical track structures disposed along the side margins of the door between substantially vertical door closing position and substantially horizontal open overhead position, each of said vertical track structures having an open side facing the adjacent side margin of ing inthe plate 94at |08, vthence upwardly, as

shown in Fig. 7, between the plate 94 and the door panel I0 to the top of lthe plate 94 where the portion Illl of the plate is bent back upon-itself to provide a curved surface at II2 over which th'e tape is turned. The -tape then continues down adjacent the face of plate 94 to the bottom where it is turned under-the edge of the door and passed therearound to the opposite face of the door and thence passes upwardly adjacent the opposite face of the door to a sheave or guide element and counterbalancing mechanism, as shown inFigs. 1 and 5. Where the tape Ill'passes around the lower edge of the door, a guide portion IIB secured to the bracket 92 is provided. This guide portion I I8 may be formed integrally with the bracket 94 by bending a portion of the stock from which the bracket is formed into the generallyv semicircular configuration best shown in Fig. '1, the lower portion of the door panel l0 being cut out to receive the' the door, a flexible lifting element for the door and a rotary member for'guiding said flexible lifting element in its movements, said bracket having a door engaging plate adapted to be located on the bottom corner and to be attached to the inner face of the door which is lowermost when the door is in open overhead position, said bracket comprising securing means mounted on said plate for securing the lower end of the nexible element thereto, and means between the rotary member and the securing means for guiding the. flexiblezlifting element comprising a curved guide surface at the lower portion of the plate extending transversely to the plate and having an inner portion from which the flexible lifting element extends to said securing means disposed adjacent the side margin of the door, said guide surface curving downwardly from the said inner portion toward and adjacent the lower edge of the door and thence curving upwardly toward the opposite face of the door and having a portion from which the flexible lifting element extends tosaid rotary member disposed between the side margin ofthe door and the 'open side of said vertical guide track and within a space bounded by the inner plane of the door jamb and the inner face of the door.

2. A bracket for use in an overhead door struc-- stantially horizontal open overhead position,

each of said tracks being disposed adjacent a side margin of said door, a flexible lifting'elementfor the door and a rotary member for guiding said flexible lifting element in its movements, said bracket 4having a door engaging plate adapted to be located on the bottom comer and to be attached to the inner face of` the door which is lowermost when the. door iszin open 'overhead position, said bracket comprising securing means mounted on said plate for securing the lower end of the flexible element thereto, and means beforth above for the bracket 36 are all found in the form of bracket identified as 82 in the drawings, although, as shown, the tape is not arranged tween the rotary member and the securing means for'guiding the flexible lifting element comprising a curved guide surface at the lower the flexible lifting element extends to said securing means disposed adjacent the side margin of the door, said guide surfacecurving downwardly from the said inner portion toward and adjacent the lower edge of the door and thence curving upwardly toward the opposite face of the door and having a portion vfrom which the flexible lifting element extends to said rotary member disposed within the plane of the door at a point between a side margin of the door and said adjacent track. h

3. A bracket for use in an overhead door structure comprising a plurality of paneLs hingedly connected along horizontal margins and shiftable in vertical track structures between substantially vertical door closing position and sbstantially horizontal open overheadI position, a flexible lifting strip for the door and a rotary member for guiding said flexible strip in its movements, said brackethaving a door engaging plate adapted to be located on a lbottom corner and to be attached to the inner face of the door which is lowermost when the door \is in open overhead position, said bracket comprising securing means mounted on said plate for secur- A ing the lower end of said flexible strip thereto,

and means between the rotary. member and the securing means for guiding the flexible strip comprising a curved guide surface associated with the plate at the lower portion thereof and extending transversely thereto and having an inner portion from .which the strip extends to said securing-means disposed adjacent the side margin of the door, said guide surface curving downwardly from said inner portion toward and adjacent the lower edge of the door and thence curving upwardly toward the opposite face of the door andhaving an outer portion from which the strip extends to said rotary member disposed substantially at said opposite face of the door and closely adjacent the side margin of the door in the space between the said opposite face of the door and the door jamb,

4. A bracket as defined in claim 1 wherein the guide sur'face has said inner portion thereof spaced inwardly from the plate member a substantial distance.

ALVIN V. ROWE. 

